Yemeni defense minister seriously injured in bomb attack

Yemeni security forces inspect the site of a car bomb attack that targeted the convoy of the country's defense minister in Sana’a on September 11, 2012.

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The Yemeni defense minister has been seriously injured in a car bomb attack that targeted his motorcade in the heart of Sana’a and killed 12 people.
"Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed survived the terrorist attack as his car was armored, but he was critically injured in his chest and the attack bruised his face," the Yemeni Interior Ministry said in a statement issued on Tuesday, two hours after the bombing, Xinhua reported.
“His health condition is stable and doctors said he will recover very soon,” the statement added.
“The death toll rose to 12, and seven of them were bodyguards of the defense minister,” the Yemeni Interior Ministry also noted.
Police officers and witnesses said the attack occurred immediately after the motorcade of the defense minister left the gate of the prime minister's office, where he had attended the weekly cabinet session.
More than 15 other people were also injured by the powerful blast, including a Yemeni diplomat identified as Abdulmajid al-Qubati.
In addition, the bombing destroyed eight vehicles and caused damage to houses in a nearby residential area.
There are reports that Major General Ahmed has been rushed to neighboring Saudi Arabia for medical treatment.
The Yemeni Interior Ministry said militants of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are the main suspects.
MP/HGL